The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince

Robin Hobb

This book can be downloaded and read in iBooks on your Mac or iOS device.

Description

One of the darkest legends in the Realm of the Elderlings recounts the tale of the so-called Piebald Prince, a Witted pretender to the throne unseated by the actions of brave nobles so that the Farseer line could continue untainted. Now the truth behind the story is revealed through the account of Felicity, a low-born companion of the Princess Caution at Buckkeep.

With Felicity by her side, Caution grows into a headstrong Queen-in-Waiting. But when Caution gives birth to a bastard son who shares the piebald markings of his father s horse, Felicity is the one who raises him. And as the prince comes to power, political intrigue sparks dangerous whispers about the Wit that will change the kingdom forever...

Internationally-bestselling, critically-acclaimed author Robin Hobb takes readers deep into the history behind the Farseer series in this exclusive, new novella, 'The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince.' In her trademark style, Hobb offers a revealing exploration of a family secret still reverberating generations later when assassin FitzChivalry Farseer comes onto the scene. Fans will not want to miss these tantalizing new insights into a much-beloved world and its unforgettable characters.

From Publishers Weekly

Dec 17, 2012 – Diving into the deep mythology of the Elderlings, bestselling fantasy author Hobb offers a worm s-eye view of an event that shaped the realm. Felicity, the unfortunate Princess Caution s servant and confidante, narrates the birth, rise, and fall of Prince Charger, the legendary Piebald Prince, who was the bastard son of a stablemaster and blessed with Wit, the power to speak to animals. Charger is, alas, less skilled at navigating human politics, and his failures give rise to a centuries-long prejudice against the Witted, laying the groundwork for Hobb s Farseer trilogy. Felicity s story is as interesting as Charger s, as her self-interest and weakness lead inevitably to tragedy even as she declares her innocence of all but the purest motives. Hobb (a pen name for fantasist Megan Lindholm) pulls off the difficult trick of telling multiple tales simultaneously and well, adding depth to her fictional world without sacrificing a human connection to it.